Rubbisher Runner

For the one or two souls out there still waiting for a race report on the Tralee 100km (4 weeks ago now) I promise you one is on the way. And I promise to make it as short as possible and to have some photographs in it.

Today’s post is to update you on my running (or lack thereof) and what I’ll do to recover from my injury.

My running afflictions are mirroring those of an Austrian runner hiding in the mountains of Kerry. Obviously this is because we are both elites at the height of our game and not delusional middle aged men. First off I had my brush with insomnia over the summer where I started to enjoy waking at 05:00 for a run. Thankfully that is now over and the darkening mornings have made sure my serotonin levels keep me in the land of nod.

Following on from the insomnia problem I’ve now developing a persistent, almost chronic pain in my left leg that only goes away with walking (but not running). I think it is a result of a tight structure in the hip/pelvis/spine that plagued me a few years ago. The compensation on the right side expresses itself in an acutely tight hamstring during exercise (running). My best guess is that the ultramarathon saw the gap between my mental ability to keep pushing and suffering and my body’s ability to keep up open up and in crept an injury.

The solution to the problem is obvious. Stretch, a bit of physio manipulation and rebuild the running. Like all idiots I have ignored this solution until now but last night I could barely sleep with the pain and even I know that that is not a good sign. So, I’ll start a few weeks of stretching in the space where you’re supposed to be kneeling and praying and cut back the mileage. If I’m still crocked it’s time to get the physio to work his magic.

2 responses to “Rubbisher Runner”

Greetings from one elite runners at the height of our game to the other (or was that from idiot to idiot?). In my case, 2 weeks of holiday beside a little lake solved the problem. The fact that I stopped sitting for several hours a day made all the difference to the legs. I hope yours will get better soon as well!